Full Potential PT. Hidden Costs Of Pain

FULL POTENTIAL NEWS

March 2019

Into The Hidden Costs of Pain DIVING

DEEPER

INSIDE: � Exercise Essentials � Patient Success Stories � Healthy Recipe � Direct Access News!

Health & Fitness

March 2019

The Newsletter About Achieving and Maintaining Optimal Well-Being

Last month we touched on the hidden costs of pain. We listed 10 hidden costs which, in some very real respects, rob a person of their enjoyments or rewards in life. At times we see financial cost as the most important factor in how we decide how to handle a physical problem. In last month’s article we were trying to help someone see the full picture of what they were losing when not taking appropriate action to handle a body pain problem. As much as all 10 effects can be real costs for a person, they actually do not compare to what could be described as the biggest cost of all with persistent pain. The biggest cost to a person is one that is more subtle, but for those who love their independence and seek in life to be active, it is perhaps felt the most. The hidden cost relates to a person’s loss of their own personal control over their body. This is a quality they had when younger, but through events that occurred in life, their body developed problems that never resolved. There are tendencies in our medical model where those in chronic pain (back pain, neck pain, shoulder, knee pain, etc.) are managed more by passive methods (medication, injections, surgery, massage, adjustments to name a few), and never learn how to treat their physical problem with an active program of specific exercises and education to overcome the problem’s underlying basis. This does not imply passive methods do not have their place in the recovery process, but ultimately what a patient needs is an understanding of their Into The Hidden Costs of Pain DIVING DEEPER

problem and its solution. This would include a specific set of exercises which gives them the tools to address the underlying reasons for the pain. What this ultimately does is transfer the control process back to the patient and gives them the understanding and resources to personally handle the majority of their problem. Being more in control and having the personal tools to help yourself is a valuable feeling as one goes through time. The most artful aging is where the person is empowered to be able to help themselves. Yes, additional passive help is needed at times too, but the ratio of help is much more like an 80/20 % with the patient being the big contributor to their health, because they know how to address their body’s problems with an active program. For example, a person goes out this spring and hits the yard work with full enthusiasm. Eight hours of raking, mowing, mulching and the like, and that night the lower back is not happy. The key question is “what does that person know how to do to help themselves?” Know is the operative word here. Do they reach for the Ibuprofen or that leftover Vicodin from some prior injury? Or do they reach for more specific exercises, ice and stretches to relief the true source of the discomfort which could quite easily be tight, tired and overuse muscles?

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exercise, and I’m certain you will be amazed with the results…. I never imagined that my pain and limited flexibility would be virtually eliminated by my commitment to the process and trusting in the professionals in the field. The positive results far outweighed the small cost. I have no plans for back surgery!” A 42 year old patient was dealing the inability to trust his back as he tried to work and function, it could go out unpredictably and put him flat on his back for days. Here is his story: “After struggling with very bad back pain for far too long and trying other treatment options without success, I received treatment at FP (Full Potential) and the results were amazing. I was given the tools I needed to treat my pain and get back to a normal life again. Before treatment there were days I could not even move; now I am back to work and running a landscape company. This is something I could have never been able to accomplish before. Well worth the financial investment!!! Even now there are times my back will begin hurting and stiffen up; however, because of the proper care and training I can use the tools and home exercises I learned to feel better again. Thank you for helping me get back to a productive life and working towards reaching my full potential. What these former patients have regained is something that life was subtly robbing from them, unless they know how to protect it. It is being in control of their body again; it is the knowledge of how to help themselves. If you are dealing with a persistent pain problem, consider a free consult with Full Potential and start the process of gaining personal control over your life again. We would love to put your success story in our newsletter! Need more proof? Check out our success stories page on our website, fullpotentialpt.com. Into The Hidden Costs of Pain DEEPER I am so glad I invested the time and finances to better myself!”

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Does he or she have a set of exercises they are confident in helping them? The ideal in our example is this person has had some continuity with their program over a period of time and trusts those exercise to help them recover because they have helped them in the past. He or she has real tools to address the muscular overload they put on their body or methods to address the underlying disk bulge that flairs up with too much bending. How effective and enjoyable is it to go out and work in your garden or on your car without the right tools? Right, it is not much fun. Tools can be educational as well as physical. Managing your body over time is actually a technology. A technology is an applied science; it involves actions that are based on sound principles to create a specific effect. I have met many patients who have benefited by a sound exercise and lifestyle technology. Such an investment is directly related to a person’s quality of life as the decades pass. I am attaching several comments of former patients who invested themselves financially, mentally and emotionally into learning a specific technology so they could manage their body effectively through time. They had no regrets after they discharged as you shall read in a moment. Control comes in many forms; our pharmaceutical industry has an “answer” for most symptoms in our bodies. Yet the most satisfying form of control is your own personal understanding of how to help yourself. This is true help, help that continues to build the right effects into your body overtime and that is what contributes to something that becomes quite important as we age – our quality of life. There is no shortage of exercise techniques or medication in these modern times. What there is a shortage of is how to use our resources correctly so you stay in true control of your body. Quality of life was a real question for this 51 year old former patient as he was looking at the possibility of fusion surgery after years of chronic LBP. “I met my PT because I was denied fusion surgery by my health insurance. What a blessing! After decades of back pain, my time with Full Potential PT has me virtually pain free. I have a large deductible, so the cost was out of pocket to me. Worth every penny! Trust the process, do your assigned

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We Did It Again!

We Made it to the TOP 5! You have nominated us into the Top 5 Physical Therapy clinics in Holland, but now we need to be voted as The Best of the Best! Not only did we make it to this, but two of our very talented Physical Therapists have made it to the Top 5. Luke VanderZouwen, DPT and William Johnson, PT. As with most things in life, we can’t do this alone, we need your help! Please vote for us EVERY day under the Physical Therapy Clinic as well as the Physical Therapist section. For the link, you can visit our website www.fullpotentialpt.com or visit our Facebook!

Practice News

You Help Us, Help Others Who Do You Know That Needs Our Help?

PLAY THE REFERRAL GAME! At Full Potential, we know that a referral from our patients is the biggest compliment. Let us thank you with these 3 simple steps! 1. Start by handing out the referral cards located at our front desk to your friends and family that are in need of our help!

2. The card with your name on the back must be returned to us at their first appointment!

3. You win! Come in to claim your prize!

Thank you to the following for referring your friends and family!

• Bill VanBruggen • Rita Nykamp • Melody Freckman • Lynda Redder • Bev DePree

• Martha Woltman • Patti Schonfeld • Carlene Ramirez • Ann Nieuwkoop • Judy Allen

• Michael Tubbs • Kerri Stoel • Ruby Kickert • Amanda Dykhouse • Angela Eding

• Darrin Dreyer • Jeremy Smith

Direct Access News!

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT DIRECT ACCESS?

If you are having pain and would like to get it handled quickly without the usual time lag in seeing your doctor, consider using your legal right to come in and get the help you need. If you have questions, just call us and we can explain how this works.

Did you know people with pain and limitations in function can come directly to a physical therapist and be evaluated and treated. This is a relatively new development for our profession. The new law was passed in 2015 and allows patients to see us without a doctor’s order or referral for up to 10 visits or 21 days. This new law really benefits those patients with Priority Health insurance since they will cover the costs of PT based on the individual’s insurance plan without a doctor’s orders. Other insurances (Blue Cross, Medicare, etc.) do not cover the cost of PT without the referral. So it is a step in the right direction and we want to make sure those of you who have Priority Health know how to take advantage of this opportunity to get help quickly if you get into pain.

To your health,

The Full Potential Staff.

Healthy Recipe

Quinoa & Lentil Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients • 1 head of green cabbage For the Filling • 3/4 cup brown lentils • 3 cups water • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa • 1 cup vegetable broth

• 1 tbsp maple syrup, or sweetener of choice • 1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar • salt and pepper to taste

• 1 small onion, diced • 1 tbsp vegetable oil • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar • 2 tbsp soy sauce • 1 tsp smoked paprika For the Sauce: • 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree

Directions Begin boiling the cabbage in 3 in of water until the leaves peel off easily (about 20 min). When done, allow them to cool. While cabbage is simmering, bring lentils to a boil in a separate small saucepan. Lower heat and allow to simmer for 35 minutes, adding water to the pot as needed. Drain any excess liquid. While lentils simmer, place broth into another saucepan, add quinoa, and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 20 min until all of the water is absorbed (about 20 min). Cook onion with oil in a large skillet over medium heat until soft and translucent (about 5 min). Add 1 1/2 cups of the cooked lentils and 1 cup of the cooked quinoa, along with red wine vinegar, soy sauce, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Make sure ingredients are mixed before removing from heat. Preheat the oven to 350°. Stir all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, then distribute about 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of 9 x 9 inch baking dish. After peeling leaves off of the cabbage head, roll about 3-4 tbsp of filling into the center of each leaf until all filling is used. Place each roll into the baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over the rolls, cover and bake for 1 hour. Let the rolls cool before serving.

Outstanding relief for your aches... Try these simple exercises to keep you moving... Exercise Essentials

Relieves Neck Pain

Relieves Hip Pain

Hip Hikes Stand on the edge of a step. Drop your free foot down, then shift your hips to raise your free foot as high as you can. Keep your knees straight at all times. Repeat 6-10 times before switching to your other side.

Exercisescopyrightof

www.simpleset.net

Cervical Retraction Stand with your back against a wall. Position a rolled up towel behind your neck. Tuck chin like you are nodding ‘yes’. Draw your chin closer to the back of your throat. Repeat 3 times.

Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.

1. Call and talk to your therapist 2. Discover why your pain has come back 3. Get your custom recovery program It’s time to get Full Potential Physical Therapy if: • You’re tired of living in pain • You want to feel better and move better • You have been in an auto accident or injured on the job • You want to prevent injury PAIN FREE DISCOVER HOW TO LIVE At Full Potential Physical Therapy, you will receive hands-on therapy treatments by our friendly, caring health experts during focused and individualized sessions.

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